Acetylene-gas generator.



Patented lune 27, |899.

C. W. BECK.

ACETYLENE GAS GENERATOR.

(Application led 0ct. 11, 1897.)

(No Model.)

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CHARLES IV. BECK, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

ACETYLEN E-GAS e EN ERATC R.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 627,795, dated June 27, 1899. Application filed October 11,1897. Serial No.`654,861. (No model.)

l'o4 all whom t may concern: K

Be it known that I, CHARLES W. BECK, of Chicago,- in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Acetylene-Gas Lamps, of which the following is a specification. y

This invention relates to improvements in generating and burning acetylene gas, and refers more particularly to a generator of that class wherein the gas is consumed directly or practically as fast as generated as ,distinguished from generatorswhich are providedv with gasometers adapted to hold a considerable body of gas.

Among the objects of the invention arepto provide improvements in the construction and arrangement of the regulating devices whereby the rate of generation is controlled,

to make a more compact and convenient device, and to simplify and improve the construction generally, as will nore'full y appear from the description. y

The invention consists in the matters hereinafter described, and m ore particularly pointed out in the appended claims, and will be readily understood, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is an axial sectional view showing a preferred embodiment of my invention.v Fig. 2 is a fragmentary similar sectionalview showing a modification of certain of the parts. Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional View taken on line 3 3 of Fig; 1 and looking downwardly. Fig. 4 is a fragmentary detail of the packingring clamp.

Referring to the drawings, the generator is shown as comprising two main or principal members, an upper cylindric part A and a lower hemispherical part A', said parts being separated by a horizontal partition o, which forms the lower end wall of the upper member. About midway of the heightof the upper member the latter is provided with a rigid horizontal -partition a', that part immediately below said partition forming the liquid-receptacle a2 and the part above the partition as forming the gas-space of the generator. f

The upper end of the body A is closed by a somewhat convex or crowning end cap a4, provided at its periphery with a depending cylindric flange a5 of considerable depth and lwhich is externally screw-threaded and adapted to fit within the correspondinglythreaded upper end of the said body A. The extreme lower margin of the iiange a5 is turned inwardly, as indicated at a5, and is adapted yto coperate with an opposing shoulder a7, formed upon or secured to the inner wall of the chamber immediately subjacent to said flange to clamp and hold the vperiphery of a flexible diaphragm B. The said diaphragm is of sufficiently larger area than the area of the chamber it divides to allow it to sag at its central part or assume the concave position lshown and obviously to assume thecorrespondingly convex position when forced upwardly by pressure of gas, as hereinafter described.

C .designates a valve-stem arranged to extend axially through the part A and provided at its lower end with a valve-plug portion c, arranged to reciprocate through a suitable port or opening a8, formed inthe horizontal partition a and provided at its lower end, be-

low the valve-plu g portion, which reciprocates through said partition a, with an enlarged A part or valve-disk C', provided at its upper surface with a iiat annular portion o and a beveled portion c2, which are adapted to cooperate with a correspondingly-shaped depression or valve-seat c3, formed in the under surface of the partition @immediately surrounding said valve-plug. That portion of .the valve-plug which reciprocates through the partition a is made hollow and is provided with a plurality (in this instance four) of longitudinally-extending triangular slots c4,

'said slots being arranged with their larger ends uppermost and being of decreasingcross- 'Sectional area from said upper ends downwardly and terminating at a point approximately at the juncture of the valve-plug With the body C.

v By means of the foregoing construction it willbe seen that ports or passages are afforded for the iiow ofv liquid through the valveplug which will be gradually closed or opened by the upward or downward movement, respectively, of the valve-plug andl that when the valve-stem is lifted so as to bring the valve-disk thereof into engagement with the ICO valve-seat c3 said ports will be completely closed and the escape of the liquid further prevented by the contact of the valve-disk with said seat. In order to insure a more perfect lit between said latter parts, the surfaces c c2 are provided with a covering c4, of rubber or analogous material.

The stem C is arranged to fit snugly where it passes through the diaphragm or partition a' and also at its point of exit through the cap a4; but suiiicient room is provided at this latter point to aiord a restricted passage of air, so that the space above the diaphragm is subject to atmospheric pressure. Immediately above the stuffing-box the stem is screwthreaded, as indicated at c5, and provided with a thumb-nut C3, which may be screwed down against the upper end of the stuflingbox in such manneras to lift the valve-stem and hold the valve-ports closed positively.

D designates a jet-nozzle which may be of any suitable or usual construction and which is shown in this instance as provided with a stop-cock D', by means of which the gas-passage may be closed.

The lower chamber A constitutes the carbid-receptacle and is shown in the present instance as lnade to separate in a horizontal plane a short distance below the partitionwall a. Said parts are united by means of a bayonetjoint, the upper margin a of the lower part A2 being to this end contracted and arranged to telescope within the other part A3 and provided with locking-lugs d10, which engage suitable slots in the upper member in a well-understood manner. In order to render the joint thus formed gas-tight, the meeting edges of the parts are beveled, so as to form an external V-shaped groove au, within which is arranged a circular soft-rubber or analogous packing-strip E. The strip E extends entirely around the receptacle and is held compressed within the groove and overlying the joint by means of a strap metal clamp E', which encircles the bowl and is provided at its meeting ends with ears e e', one of which is notched, as indicated at e2, while to the other is pivoted a toggle-lever e3, provided with a link e4, adapted to engage the notches of the opposite ear, thus aiording `In this instance the valve parts c14 are submeans of adj ustably and removably clamping the packing-strip over the joint.

It is found in practice that where the admission of liquid to the carbid is localized to any one particular point the carbid has a strong tendency to form into a cake or compact mass around the inlet, thus shutting ott or in a great measure interfering with the diffusion of the liquid to the unslaked portion. 'lo obviate this difficulty, I have provided a wick-support F, consisting of a hollow tubular body closed at its upper end and secured to the bottom of the carbid-receptacle, so as to stand vertically beneath the valvedisk C. Upon this support is mounted a tubular wick or covering of brous material G, which, however,terminates some distance below the upper end of the support, as indicated at g, thus leaving the upper end of the sup- `wick-covering c7, which receives the liquid passing downwardly over the valve-disk and conveys it to the wick G.

The gas generated in the carbid-receptacle is permitted to pass up through the liquid-receptacle through a pipe cl2, having its ends l secured in the partitions aand a', and from the gas-chamber a3 enters the hollow valve-stem through apertures o8, formed in the latter.

In order that the flow of liquid to the carbid may be regulated by the pressure of the gas generated, the diaphragm B is connected at its center with the valve-stem, so that the gas admitted below said diaphragm tends to raise the valve-stem, and thus restrict or shut off the fiow of liquid. The connection between the valve-stem and diaphragm is conveniently formed by a pair of collars C4 C5, secured rigidly to the stem and between which the diaphragm` is clamped. H designates a coiled expansion spring arranged on the valve-stem and interposed between the upper collar and the inner surface ot' the cap or end wall a4, so as to act in opposition to the movement of the valve-stem under the gas-pressure.

In order that the pressure may be equalized between the gas and liquid chambers, so as to prevent the formation of a vacuum in the latter, a spring-pressed downwardly-opening check-valve I is seated in the partition a", this arrangement servingto permit access of water to the gas-chamber in case the generator be inverted or tipped over. A llingaperture is provided in the partition a, closed by a screw-cap als, through which the liquidreservoir may be filled when the carbid-receptacle is removed.

The operation of the device has been suiiiciently indicated to make it obvious in the foregoing description and need not therefore be further detailed.

In Fig. 2 I have shown a slight modification.

stantially the same in form as the parts c4 of the first-described device, but are merely recesses formed in the side wall of the valveplug and do not extend through said wall so as to open into the hollow of the stem. In this case also the wick-support F is perforated, as indicated at f, to permit gas to enter said support, thus constituting a gas-collecting chamber. From this chamber the gas `enters theI hollow valve-stem c4 through a passage G20, formed through the valve-disk, and thence to the burner, thus dispensing with the pipe leading from the carbid-chamber to the gas-chamber, as before. Apertures C18, formed in the valve-stem at points within the gas-chamber A, permit the entrance of gas to the chamber, so that it may act upon the iieXible diaphragm in the same manner as IOO IIO

described in the previous construction. Said chamber also obviously acts as an expansible reservoir and to equalize and render more uniform the gas-pressure.

In the present construction a movable partition in the form of a piston J is substituted forthe partition a of the former construction. This piston is made to iit closely and slide upon the valve-stem and is provided with a pair of oppositely-disposed cup leathers or packings jj', which insure a close joint at its periphery whether the pressure be from above or below. By means of this construction the check-valve is dispensed with, inasmuch asthe piston moves downward with the fallof the liquid. In other respects the constructions and operation of the devices are the same.

I claim as my inventionl. In a lamp for generating and burning acetylene gas, the combination, of a carbidcompartment, a gas-chamber, a diaphragm dividing said gas-chamber, subject at one side to the gas-pressure and open at its opposite side to atmospheric pressure, a source of liquid-supply and means for controlling thev iiow of liquid to the carbid comprising a valveport, a valve-plug having a part of uniform size arranged to reciprocate through said port and provided in its part of uniform size which cooperates with said port with a longitudinally-arranged slot of decreasing cross-sectional area from oney end toward the other, said valve-plug .being operatively connected with the diaphragm, a valve-seat surrounding said port, a valve-disk upon the valveplug surfaced with a rubber packing and adapted to cooperate with said seat, means acting to normally hold the valve-disk away from its seat and means for positively forcing and holding the valve-disk against its seat.

2. Ina generator, the combination of a carbid-chamber, a liquid-reservoir and a -gaschamber arranged in superposed-relation to eachother, a valve-port in the partition separating the liquid and carbid receptacles, a

valve-plug arranged to reciprocate throughv said port and provided with a hollow stem arranged to extend through the gas-chamber and project outside the generator, a flexible diaphragm dividing the gas-chamber and con- 'l .and project outside the generator, a valve- Seat surrounding said valve-port, a valve-disk upon the valve-stem adapted to coperate with the valve-seat, a thumb-nut threaded upon the valve-stem externally to the generator, whereby the valve-disk may be clamped positively against its seat, a flexible diaphragm dividing the gas-chamber and connected with said valve-stemso as to recipro= cate the latter when the diaphragm is vibrated, a gas-passage from the carbid-chamber to the gas-chamber, an aperture in the hollow valve-stem located at a point within the gas-chamber, and a burner-jet connected with valve-stem.

4. In a generator the combination of a carbid-chamber, a liquid-reservoir and a gaschamber arranged in superposed relation to each other, a valve-port in the partition separating the liquid and carbid receptacles, a valve-plug arranged to reciprocate through said port and provided with a hollow stem arranged to extend through the gas-chamberv and project outside the generator, a wicksupport arranged to project freely into the carbid-chamber and provided with a wickcovering arranged to receive the liquid admitted through the port and diiiuse it to the carbid, a flexible diaphragm dividing the gaschamber and connected with said valve-stem so as to reciprocate the latter when the diaphragm is vibrated, a gas-passage from the carbid-chamber to the gas-chamber, an aperf ture in the hollow valve-stem located at a point within the gas-chamber, and a burnerjet connected with valve-stem.

5. In a generator, the combination of a carbid-chamber, a liquidreservoir and a gaschamber arranged in superposed relation to each other, avalve-port in the partition separating the liquid and carbid chambers,a valveplug arranged to lit and reciprocate within said port and provided in its sides with slots of decreasing cross-sectional area from top to bottom forming passages for the liquid, a hollow valve-stem connected with said valveplug, extending up through the liquid and gas chambers and through the upper end closure of the latter, so as to form a gas-passage from the carbid-chamber, a gas-burner connected with the upper end of said valvedstem, a iiexible diaphragm dividing the gas-chamber horizontally and connected at its central part with the valve-stem, a gas-passage affordingcommunication between the hollow of the valve- .stem and the gas-chamber below the dia-y phragm, a spring arranged to act upon the IOO IOS

IIO

diaphragm in opposition to the gas-pressure,

plug arranged to t and reciprocate within said port and provided in its sides with slots j of decreasing cross-sectional area from top to bottom forming passages for the liquid, a hollow Valvestem connected with said valveplug, extending up through the liquid and gas chambers and through the upper end closure of the latter, so as to form a gas-passage from the carbid-chamber, a gas-burner connected with the upper end of said valve-stem, a flexible diaphragm dividing the gas-chamber horizontally and connected at its central part with the valve-stem, a gas-passage affording communication between the hollow of the Valvestem and the gas-ohamber below the diaa hollow perforated Wick-support extending freely within the"`carbidchamber, and a Wick ooverin g said su pport and arranged to receive and diffuse the liquid admitted to the chamber, said hollow valve-stem being arranged to communicate at its lower end with the hollow wielvsiipport.

lu testimony 'that I claim the foregoing as my invention l aiiix my signature, in presence of two subscribing witnesses, this 7th day of October, A. D. 1897.

CHARLES W. BECK. Vitnesses:

D. C. KREIDLER, ALBERT II. GRAVES. 

